Glade Lane
by juliet's rose
Summary: Harry and Ron find the perfect house for themselves and Hermione. But will she agree to live there? Can Ron get the two to confess their feelings? A post-Hogwarts fic


Glade Lane By juliet's rose  
  
Chapter One—House Hunting and Matchmaking  
  
The setting sun shone down on two young men as they walked up the steps of a little brick cottage outside of Hogsmeade. Ron and Harry were currently having an enthusiastic discussion about house hunting.  
"So, we've agreed that we're not going for the place in Muggle London—too old and musty, I think. And what about the one just off of Diagon--" Ron was cut off as Harry interjected. "Ron, I swear we already had this conversation. Remember, we have to get a flat that's just right not just for us, but for Hermione too...else she won't live with us."  
Ron rolled his eyes and smirked good naturedly at his mate. "Harry, I've been telling you for years...tell the girl how you feel! You can't just stand around and wait until she decides to get a serious boyfriend..."  
  
Harry glared at Ron. "I have never said that I am in love with Hermione. In fact, even if I was in love with her, I would never dream of telling her because there is absolutely no chance--"  
  
This time it was Ron who interrupted, laughing. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, if you're gonna try to keep denying it to me, your best mate, don't you think I deserve a little something better...like an excuse that's not completely half assed, and what more, hasn't been used at least fifty times...?"  
  
Luckily, the discussion was brought to a halt as a young wizard with grey robes Apparated directly in front of them.  
  
"Hello, hello! And you must be Misters Weasley and Potter?" He continued on, not waiting for their assent. "I'm Jason. Jason MacPhearson, and I will be showing you around this lovely country style cottage. Built in the fifties, it is a picturesque..."  
  
Ron and Harry glanced at each other and almost broke out laughing. This was the fourth house they'd visited today, and the ninth this weekend. Every single realtor had given the same spiel, with appropriate words substituted, of course. For example, instead of "lovely and picturesque" the last cottage had been "quaint and charming."  
  
But they both began paying much more attention when Jason MacPhearson opened up the door to the house with a large brass key. The wooden cedar door swung back to reveal a shining hardwood floor. Ron stepped in first. The first thing he noticed was a sweet sharp scent. It was utterly refreshing and he identified it to be pine. Harry was inside right after him, and his first impression was of the light. The downstairs was basically one big room, he saw, with a bathroom and closet on the side. Big windows lined the walls, looking out onto a beautiful sand beach with a magnificent pink and orange sunrise...Wait! Harry did a double take. They were in Hogsmeade, not the Mediterranean. He knew that. Then why was there a spectacular beach scene outside? He turned to enquire with Jason, but the realtor had sensed his confusion and explained with a energetic yet forced "I-have-to-do-this-all-day" laugh.  
  
"Ha ha, that's not actually the real backyard. Haha. It can be charmed to show a variety of different scenes." He flicked his wand, muttering something, and suddenly the backdrop vanished and became a breathtaking view of the Himalayas, complete with snowy peaks and small dots of climbers making their way up to the summit.  
  
Harry frowned. If he knew Hermione at all, he would guess that she'd want to have the real view...and to be perfectly honest, he wasn't too fond of the fake-ness of the scenery either. He turned to Jason. "You know, if it isn't too hard, I would like to have a look at the actual yard, you know." Jason gave him another of those cheek stretching smiles and nodded.  
  
Harry braced himself for a muddy pit of a yard with scraggly bushes. But that's not what came up, by far. Green, was the first thing that came to mind. Lush evergreen trees in a glade, with sunlight filtering through. Jason's voice perpetrated his observations.  
  
"...and if you walk about ten minutes through the forest, you can climb a small bluff, and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is just across the lake. Don't suppose you two have ever heard of that one, huh? Haha, haha." He laughed, pleased with his own joke. Harry gave him a preoccupied smile.  
  
The backyard was great, he reasoned. Quiet and peaceful...and who would have thought there'd be a view of Hogwarts in the deal? Harry was aware that Ron and Hermione had missed their old school just as he had in the past three years. Now, at twenty-one, ten years after they had all met, it seemed especially fitting to share a house together that overlooked Hogwarts. Except—there was an if. A major if, that Harry wasn't even willing to consider. But he considered it anyways, as he always did when his thoughts involved Hermione.  
  
What if Hermione didn't want to live with him and Ron? Or what if agreed to it, but then hated the house? Or what if when she moved in she brought all sorts of weird blokes over who...Harry got a hold of his thoughts, and held them. Firmly. He couldn't go jumping to conclusions about Hermione and the house issue if he hadn't even seen the rest of the place.  
  
Just then, Ron bounded down the last few stairs. "You gotta come see this, Harry. I like it best so far out of all the houses. There's three bedrooms upstairs, and..."  
  
Harry didn't wait for Ron. Instead, he went upstairs himself. His first thought was a query on how roomy it was. He didn't know how the house had managed to look so small from the outside. The main room was a spacious study, with ample room for several desks and a bookcase or two, which would be a necessity if Hermione were to live with them.  
  
He strolled into the first of three bedrooms. It was fairly small, but airy and pleasant, with a skylight and an adjoining bathroom that also led to the second bedroom. It was basically the same as the first. There was only one door out that didn't lead to the bathroom, and Harry took it, looking for the third room. It was on the other side of the study, he noticed. Opening the door slowly, he walked in.  
  
This was clearly the best room in the house. There was a fireplace, and cherry wood floorboards that shone. A window looked out onto the forest, and Harry thought he could see a glimpse of the lake through the trees. This room also had a private bathroom, with a claw foot bathtub and skylight. The suite was beautiful, homey, comfortable, simple, and yet utterly elegant and refined. It described Hermione perfectly.  
  
Harry turned to Ron and Jason MacPhearson, who had joined him in the room. His mind was made up.  
  
"We'll take it."  
  
Ron, knowing Harry as he did, was not altogether surprised, and punched Harry on the arm as they both signed the contract stating them as owners. And in less then ten minutes, it was over, and Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were now the proud owners of 461 Glade Lane.  
  
Jason MacPhearson, ecstatic about his sale, wished them luck and told them to enjoy "The Peace and Solitude of Your New Life," which Harry was sure was another tag line. He Apparated with a pop, and Harry and Ron were left standing in their perfectly new, perfectly empty house, with nothing except the sinks, showers, bathtubs, and kitchen appliances.  
  
The pair went downstairs, and Ron plopped onto the cushioned window seat that lined one of the living room walls. "Merlin, I'm famished, and we don't have any food in this house...come to think of it, we really don't have anything at all in this place. If we're gonna start living here tonight, let's take advantage of that company that promises entire households of stuff moved in an hour."  
  
Harry rapidly agreed and pretty soon the Power Hour team was moving at an alarmingly fast rate through the house, Apparating and Disapparating only to return with more of Harry and Ron's belongings.  
  
At about ten o'clock pm the last of the furniture and groceries had been transported, and each item was in the correct room in the house...although not in its correct place. However, both boys agreed that organizing could wait until they got some sleep and began getting used to the lightening- fast change...the Power Hour team had set everything up...from the heat to the security system.  
  
Ron yawned at Harry as both stood leaning against the kitchen counter. "Well, mate; I guess this it," he said sleepily. "You, me and Hermione, living together for the first time since Hogwarts." Harry grinned at him. "But something's gonna be very different this time, Potter." Harry quirked an eyebrow at this. "McGonagall's not going to be checking to make sure that her head boy and girl aren't spicing things up together in the common room!"  
  
Ron dodged the expected half-hearted punch that came from Harry. Ron had never given up an opportunity to tease Harry about the fact that he and Hermione had shared a common room as seventh years, being Head Boy and Girl. Although Ron knew that nothing physical had actually ever happened between the two, he was pretty sure that Hermione felt the same way as Harry. Not that he knew anything at all, right? But after going to school with his two best mates for seven years and spending a good chunk of the summer holidays with them over the years as well....let's just say he thought he had seen enough.  
  
But there was the problem of how stubborn both were. Hermione, he knew, would never confess her feelings to anyone, let alone Harry, unless he did first. So he just had to get Harry to do something. Speed things up a bit, that's it.  
  
"So, mate, how're you going to tell Hermione about this place? And more, how're you going to get her to stay with us?"  
  
Harry looked at Ron. "Well...her birthday's this Thursday. And I thought that maybe we could surprise her, have her over for dinner, you know, and then see what she thinks."  
  
Ron grinned. "Whatever you say, Harry. I'm sure she'll love anything you do to her, er, anything you do for her." He finished with a smirk. Harry ignored him and summoned a quill and parchment from one of the desks placed randomly upstairs. Soon he was seated at the table, scrawling out a note to Hermione.  
  
Hermione, Ron and I have a birthday surprise for you. We'll pick you up at six 'o clock on Thursday night... Harry  
  
Harry folded the letter and tied to Hedwig's leg. She soared out the window and into the night. Harry stood up and yawned. "I'm off to bed...but we should think about what we wanna do with Hermione on Thursday night..."  
  
Ron let him get halfway up the stairs before he called, "Well, frankly Harry, I do believe that I know exactly what you would like to do with her, but that's not exactly what I had in mind."  
  
Ron smiled as he hears Harry groan. "Lay off, you prat," but Ron could tell he wasn't really mad. This was exactly the speeding up that was needed.  
  
Hermione was lying in bed with a new book when a flutter outside of her window caught the corner of her eye. Jumping up, she opened the window and let Hedwig flutter over to the back of a chair. "Hello, Hedwig. Do you have something for me from Harry?" Her eyes were bright. The owl hooted softly and extended her left leg. Hermione reached over and read the note. Her face broke into a wide smile as she imagined just what kind of surprise they might have for her. "Thanks, Hedwig. Do you want anything to eat?"  
  
Hermione assumed that it was a no as Hedwig flew back over to the window and hooted softly before taking off again.  
  
She couldn't wait for her birthday. Just a few minutes ago she had been looking forward to it as simply another birthday, albeit the fact that it was her twenty-first. But now, she had to pick out an outfit. Hermione wanted to look her best for her best friends on her birthday. Inwardly, she scoffed. Honestly, who was she trying to fool? Ron—well, Ron was really like her brother, and she didn't care what she wore around him because she knew he didn't care. As for dressing up because of the birthday...well, that was just ridiculous and she knew it. She knew, without wanting to admit it to herself that it was only Harry that she would dress up for.  
  
Hermione sighed, and climbed back into her bed. She knew that it was utterly pointless to have these feelings for Harry...but how couldn't she? He was brave, smart, caring, handsome, sensitive, and she loved him. She had for a while now... ever since they had left Hogwarts and she went two months without seeing him. It had been different during the summer holidays, when they would all gather at the Burrow. It was then that she realized that Harry was the person she wanted to be with. However, there was a but. A major but, that Hermione hated to even consider. But she did anyways, just as she always did when her thoughts contained Harry.  
  
How was she to know if Harry thought of her as more than a friend or not? Honestly, she had no reason to believe either way at all. But she would not put herself in the position of confessing her—love, yes, that's what it was—and then being denied. However nice and sweet and Harry would be (and Hermione knew that he would) it wouldn't be enough salve to mend her bruised soul once he refused.  
  
Annoyed with herself for going all contemplative and gloomy, Hermione tried to steer her thoughts back to the excitement of her birthday. She wouldn't allow herself to jump to conclusions either way, because she simply didn't have any proof. Pleased that she was thinking more methodically, Hermione went to her closet and began looking through her clothes for an appropriate "birthday girl" outfit.  
  
Thursday morning, Ron sat upstairs in the study while Harry had gone out flying. He needed to do something about tonight. Things would never get anywhere if he was there with the lovebirds, he thought, and as much as he would like to stay and celebrate, he figured that there would be plenty of time for that later. At their wedding, he mused, and smiled. He picked up the phone and called someone who he thought could be of great help.  
  
"Ginny? It's Ron."  
  
"Hey. What's going on?"  
  
"Okay...I have a favor to ask of you. Before you start asking questions, I have to tell you the cause. True love, in the form of Harry and Hermione."  
  
Ginny giggled. She had been set up with her current boyfriend by a mutual friend, and had found it very agreeable. "What do you want me to do? You know I've wanted to do this for ages...."  
  
Ron smiled. He should have known that Ginny would be excited to get her best friend and her brother's best friend together; she was a hopeless romantic.  
  
"So, Harry and I are supposed to pick Hermione up at six tonight. Then we're going to bring her back to the house, and beyond that, I'm not sure what Harry's going to do. Here's where you come in..."  
  
Half an hour later, Ron hung up, satisfied that he and Ginny could do this. Between her decorating talents and cooking skills, and his white lies and trickery, they had it made. Harry and Hermione were both in for a treat...  
  
TBC  
  
A/N: Hello, all. I hope you're reading this, because that means you might be inspired to write a review, and we all know how happy that makes me....so please, tell me what you think. I plan on continuing this and finishing it off in one more chapter. 


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